Today I had another appointment at Mass General Hospital (MGH) for the medical research project I'm participating. These appoinments are now routine. Going there today, I felt like an upperclassman on a college campus. I was fully aware of where I needed to go and what was expected of me. Upon each visit I provide urine and blood samples, fill out a fairly extensive survey (about depression, my sex-drive, and physical changes to my body), and a small pellet is injected into my abdomen to prevent my body from making testosterone. This last part is always the most uncomfortable but it is hardly painful and is over in a matter of minutes.
During today's visit I also met with the nutritionist. Since the study is evaluating the degenerative affects of bone density in men with low levels of testosterone (typically a problem for the elderly who are more frail) they want to be certain that I'm getting plenty of calcium in my diet. So we spent a few minutes reviewing what I've eaten over the past month. Apparently, I'm still not getting enough calcium in my diet but in lieu of taking a supplement, I told her I'll eat more ice cream and will snack on some of my favorite cheeses. She was fine with my suggestion so I intend to keep up my part of the deal.
Despite my hectic work schedule which has resulted in a more seditary life than even I'm use to I have not really gained any weight. I still stand at 6'1" and only weigh about 3 or 4 more pounds than when I started the program back in early September (now I'm a solid 186lbs - or my winter weight as I like to refer to it despite the fact that winter is just starting).
Hopefully, my forthcoming trip to Brazil will help motivate me to be more active and when I go back to get weighed and measured at the next meeting I'll not only see a slight weight loss, but I'll finally be able to say 'yes' to a few more of the activities the nutritionist rattles off to try and determine how often I'm raising my heart rate and working out.
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